Swish and summery times beckon at The Winchester Hotel
After a R90m revamp, Newmark Hotels has relaunched a boutique destination on Cape Town’s ever-popular Atlantic seaboard
The Cape Town suburb of Sea Point looked rather different back in 1922. Trams trundled along the Main Road, while steam trains chuffed past Rocklands beach on the seafront line that connected the fast-growing suburb to the city centre.
The paint was only just dry on the popular Sea Point pavilion, and curious locals stopped by to watch the beginnings of a sea wall under construction. This would be, quite literally, the foundation of today’s much-loved Sea Point Promenade.
While the stonemasons kept the Atlantic at bay, just back from the beach, the first residents were no doubt admiring the graceful lines and enviable locale of the Winchester Mansions, a swish new apartment block for the city’s well-to-do.
Through the century the property morphed from private apartments into a hotel, and slowly into one of the city’s most elegant seafront destinations.
But a century after it was first built, it was time for a rethink. And, despite the pandemic-induced downturn in travel, after a R90m revamp, Newmark Hotels has relaunched a boutique destination on the city’s ever-popular Atlantic seaboard.
The wine list is also a highlight, filled with boutique producers and offering an admirable selection by the glass. It’s perhaps best explored in the adjoining Harvey’s Bar, where a separate terrace delivers more sea views over a glass of the Cape’s finest, or a classic cocktail.
After 18 months in which local hospitality has been devastated by lockdowns and booze bans, the brave investment and bold new look at The Winchester is to be applauded. Whether you’re staying the night, or stopping for sundowners, be sure to pay it a visit this summer.